A Romanian prince convicted of corruption has been detained in Malta after he was arrested while visiting the country for an event organised by the Knights of Malta.

Prince Paul-Philippe fled Romania in 2020 when he was convicted and sentenced to almost 3.5 years in prison for corruption related to the illegal restitution of real estate near Bucharest, to which he falsely claimed ownership.

The 75-year-old was arrested in Malta on Sunday on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant and taken to court on Monday, where he was denied bail due to the seriousness of the charges against him.

Appearing in court accompanied by his wife Lia, he gave his profession as a "member of royal family"and said that he was residing in Paris. 

'Humiliated in front of dignitaries'

He objected to the extradition.

His lawyer Jason Azzopardi told the court he had been in Malta for an event organized by the Knights of Malta and was “humiliated in front of dignitaries from all over Europe" during his arrest on Sunday evening. 

Prosecuting inspector Roderick Spiteri presented documents including the European Arrest Warrant, digital copies of judgments and the Attorney General's certificate greenlighting the request.

The prosecution presented a fingerprints sample sent by the Romanian authorities along with a photo of the wanted man to prove the arrested man was the prince.

The inspector told the court the accused is wanted for corruption to serve a jail term of three years and four months.

'Politically motivated'

Defence lawyer Jason Azzopardi said that the prince understands what he is wanted for but although documents said so at face value, "that document was politically motivated."

The lawyer rebutted that the European Arrest Warrant is based on corruption allegations in Romania. He presented a decision by the Court of Appeal in Paris last year, concluding that there was systematic failure of the system in Romania.

In June 2022, he was apprehended on the street in Paris but the Paris Court of Appeals refused to extradite him to Romania.

Azzopardi described the European Arrest Warrant as an act of "vindictiveness" by the prince's enemies in his homeland. 

The defence also presented evidence of decisions handed down by the courts in Paris last year, declaring the arrest warrant as "nonsense", Azzopardi claimed. 

“This shows how a serious European country, namely France, dealt with the illegal request for the arrest of this gentleman," he said.

A decision handed down by the Court of Appeal was confirmed by the Court of Cassation and that in itself was "quite exceptional".

His lawyers offered a fixed address at a Valletta residence belonging to a Marquis. It was just round the corner from the police station and the prince was willing to go sign the bail book “even three times daily” if necessary. 

But the court presided by Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo still turned down the request after the prosecution objected to the seriousness of the charges and the fact that the defendant is wanted to serve a sentence. 

The court declared that European Arrest Warrants were “sui generis” (particular) proceedings.

'No links to Order of Malta'

In comments following the case, the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta moved to clarify that the prince had no links to them.

"Prince Paul is not a member of our order and has never been invited to any of our events," the Ambassador of the Sovereign Order, Augusto Ruffo di Calabria told Times of Malta.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta claims continuity with the original Knights Hospitaller.

€145 million scheme

Prince Paul was convicted in December 2020 for buying influence and complicity in the crime of abuse of office against the public interest. 

He was found to have been involved in the illegal restitution and then sale of land in an upmarket area near Bucharest that belonged to his family before it was nationalized by the communists.

Romania's High Court found that the scheme cost the Romanian state more than €145 million.

Although he is known as Prince Paul or Prince Paul-Philippe of Romania, his claim to the throne is disputed.

He is the grandson of King Carol II of Romania, through a commoner Zizi Lambrino, in a union that only lasted one year before it was annulled in 1919.

He was never acknowledged by Romania’s last king, Michael I, who died in 2017 and was was the son of Carol II by his next wife, Queen Helena of Greece and Denmark.

The prince, visibly distraught when his bail request was turned down, was remanded in custody pending continuation of proceedings.

The case will now be assigned to a different magistrate for a first hearing on May 9. 

Inspector Roderick Spiteri prosecuted. Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Kris Busietta were defence counsel.

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